Apparatus for dumping and throwing oyster-dredges.



H. L. LEWIS.

APPARATUS FOR DUMPING AND THROWING OYSTER DREDGES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8, I915- 1,169,548, Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

3-S'HEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESSES:

THE COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON, n. c

H. L. LEWIS.

APPARATUS FOR DUMPING AND THROWING OYSTER DREDGES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8, 1915. 1,169,548, Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR BY @MM ATTORNEY THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0.. \vAshmuwN, D. c.

.H. L. LEWIS.

APPARATUS FOR DUMPING AND THROWING OYSTER DREDGES.

I13 Iv:

APPLICATION FILED MAR 8,1915

ATTORNEY THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH :0, WASHINGTON, D. c.

HENRY L. LE'WIS, OE STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT.

APPARATUS FOR DUMPING AND THROWING OYSTER-DREDGES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 25, 1915.

Application filed March 8, 1915. Serial No. 12,818.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY L. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stratford, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for Dumping and Throwing Oyster-Dredges, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide simple, strong and durable apparatus for dumping and throwing oyster dredges, which shall wholly eliminate manual labor both in dumping and throwing a dredge. It

is of course well understood that dredges areordinarily drawn on board the boat by power and are dumped by hand, which requires two strong men, and are then lifted by the men and thrown overboard.

In order that the operation of dumping and throwing dredges may be performed wholly mechanically, I have devised the novel apparatus which I will now describe, referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and using reference characters to indicate the several' parts.

Figure 1 is an elevation of my novel apparatus in its normal position on a boat, as seen from the outer side; Fig. 2. a side elevation of the apparatus as seen from the right in Fig. 1, and also showing the samson post, so called, on an oyster boat; Fig. 3 a similar elevation showing the position of the apparatus after a dredge has been drawn up and the apparatus has commenced to tilt to dump the dredge; Fig. 1 a similar. view showing the position of the apparatusin dumping the dredge, and Fig. 5 is a perspective of the dredge adapted for use in connection with my novel apparatus.

10 denotes a dredge which may be of any ordinary or preferred construction, the only requirements to adapt it for use with my novel apparatus being that the club, so called, of the dredge, which is indicated by 11, be long enough to engage the apparatus, and that the arms 12 of the dredge be provided with suitable projections 13 which must also engage the apparatus. dredge chain, indicated by 11, passes over a pulley 15 on the samson post 16, and is wound by power on a drum, not shown, as it forms no portion of the present invention. The side of the boat is provided with a table '17, shown in dotted lines only, and at the outer edge of the table is a horizontal roller 18 mounted in brackets 20 and 21 secured to the table. Bracket 21 is provided with an extension 22 on which a substantially verti cal. roller '23 is mounted. In drawing a dredge, the chain passes over roller 23-until the dredge is disengaged from the bottom, when, as the samson post is located centrally with relation to roller 18, the chain will swing to a substantially vertical position and will pass over roller 18. These parts are all in common use, but are referred to as they cooperate with my novel apparatus.

The invention comprises essentially a swinging carrying frame and dumping means. The framecomprises arms 24: which are pivoted at substantially their mid-length and a plate 25 secured to the arms which is adapted to support the dredge and in the normal position of the apparatus rests against and protects the side of the boat, as shown in Fig. 2. The lower portions of the arms preferably diverge for convenience in handling a dredge and above their pivotal points the arms are preferably bent inward for ease and quickness in operation. The upper ends of the arms lie in substantial alinement with the lower portions and are provided with outwardly extending hubs 26 to which dumping levers 27 are pivoted. These levers are provided with inwardly offset projections 28 and with undercut shoulders 29. Blocks 35 secured to the edge of the. table serve as rests for the levers in their normal position and as fulcrums on which the levers swing during the first portion of the dumping operation (see Fig. 3).

30 denotes links pivoted to the projections and'having shoulders 31 adapted to be engaged by the projections on the dredge, and yokes 32 which inclose the upper portions of the arms and slide freely thereon.

The operation is as follows: In drawing a dredge, as soon as it swings'free from the bottom, the chain will lie centrally or nearly so of roller 18 and the nose of the dredge will follow it over the roller. The dredge will be drawn upward until projections 18 on the arms of the dredge engage shoulders 31 on the links. The club of the dredge will now have passed over the lower ends of the dumping levers and the bag will be resting against the supporting plate. Continued pull upon the chain, owing to the engagement of the projections on the dredge with the shoulders onthe links, will cause the apparatus to tilt, carrying the dredge w th it, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. As the tiltlng operation proceeds, the club of the dredge the dredge bag will vbe jerked taut and the movement of the levers stopped, the effect of which is to cause the contents or the bag to be expelled and to drop out upon the deck of the boat, 33 (see dotted lines) indicating the position of the frame and 3% the position of the bag. As soon as the dredge is dumped, the chain is allowed to pay out and the apparatus tilts backward, .past the position indicated in'Fig. 3, until 'it reaches its normalposition, as in Fig. 2, the dredge sliding freely off from the plate, the operations of dumping and throwing being per formed entirely without manual labor.

Having thus described my invention I claim 1. Apparatus of the character described comprising a swinging dredge-carrying frame, levers pivoted to the frame and links pivoted to the levers and provided with yokes which engage and slide on the frame and with shoulders adapted to be engaged by a dredge, whereby the apparatus is tilted and then the levers are swung upward to dump the dredge.

2. Apparatus of the character described comprising a swinging dredge-carrying frame and pivoted means carried thereby and adapted to be engaged by a dredge, and links for causing said pivoted means to swing the dredge into dumping position when the dredge-carrying frame is swung inward.

BLAp'paratuS of the character described comprising a swinging dredge-carrying frame, levers adapted to beengaged by a dredge and pivoted to the frame, andlinks also adapted to be engaged by a dredge Jand pivoted to the levers andhaving sliding .engagement with the frame.

4:. Apparatus of the character described comprising a swinging dredge-carrying frame, levers pivoted to the frame and. having shoulders adapted to be engaged by the club of a dredge and links pivoted to the levers and provided with yokes which engage and slide on the frame and with shoulders adapted to be engaged by the frame of a dredge.

5. Apparatus of the character described comprising a swinging dredge carrying frame, levers pivoted to the frame and having shoulders near their lower ends adapted to be engaged by the club .of a dredge and links pivoted to the levers and offset therefrom, said links being provided with yokes adapted to engage and slide on the frame and with shoulders adapted to be engaged by a dredge, so that when a dredge is drawn into engagement with the shoulders the apparatus will tilt, the levers will be swung upward, the club of the dredge will engage the shoulders and the contents of the dredge will be dumped.

' 6. Apparatus of the character described comp-rising swinging arms adapted to be pivoted at substantially their mid-length, the upper portionsof said arms being bent backward, and the upper endsin substantial alrinement with the lower portions, le-

vers pivoted to the upper ends of the arms andha vingshoulders near their lower ends for engagement by the club .of adredge, and links pivoted to the levers and OfirSQt therefrom and provided with yokes which slide on the arms and withshoulders adapted to beengagedbya dredge frame.

7-. Apparatus of the character described comprising arms pivoted at substantially their mid-length and provided at their'up per ends with outwardly extending :hubs, levers pivoted to the hubs and having inwardly=eXtending projections near their up.- per ends and shoulders near their lower ends adaptedto be engaged by the'club of a. dredge, blocks againstrwhich the leversare adapted to rest at substantially their midlength, ;and links pivoted to the projections and provided with yokes which slide on the 7 arms and with shouldersadapted to be engaged by a dredge frame.

8. :In combination, a :boat, a swinging dredge-carrying frame secured thereto and adapted 'to be engaged by adredge to cause said frame to be swung inward, levers pivoted to the frame, and connections between the levers and the frame which are engaged by th'edredge to cause the levers to dump the dredgeafter it has been swung inward on the frame, :the dredge being thrown, by thereturn of the parts to normal position, when released.

dredge carrying frame pivoted thereto, a dredge, levers PIVOTJQCl to the frame and. adapted to be'engaged by the'dredge, links pivoted to the levers and having sliding engagement with the frame and adapted to be engaged by the dredge and-a power-operated chain attached to-the dredge, whereby the latter is dumped and -thrown without manual labor.

10. In combination, a boat,'a dredge comprising a bag, a dredge-carrying frame-se-v cured to the boat and adaptedto swing inward and levers and links carried by the frame and engaged by the dredge, whereby inward movement of thedredge upon :the 1 9. In combination, a boat, swinging .1

frame will cause the bag to be swung upward by the dumping means and jerked taut to expel the contents.

11. In combination, aboat, a dredge, a swinging dredge carrying frame pivoted to the boat, dumping means pivoted to the frame forward of the point of attachment f the dredge bag to the dredge frame and adapted to be engaged by the dredge, and a power operated chain attached to the dredge, whereby the bottom of the dredge is swung upward and the bottom jerked taut to expel the contents.

12. In combination, a boat, a swinging dredge-carrying frame, levers pivoted to the frame and links pivoted to the levers and having sliding engagement with the frame and adapted to be engaged by a dredge simultaneously with the swinging movement of the carrying frame to swing the levers and bottom of the dredge upward.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY L. LENIS.

\Vitnesses H. WV. MEADE, E. M. CULVER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

